Jared's Baptism

What a special day for a special kid. Jared has such a big spirit trapped in such a little body. We talked a lot about what it meant to be baptized. As Latter Day Saints we believe that at age 8 you become accountable for your actions. I told Jared that just because he turned 8 didn't mean he had to be baptized, that he had to pray and find out for himself if he felt it was the right. He came to me and told me he wanted to be baptized. He was pretty excited as he prepared, about a week before his baptism he had an interview with our Bishop. That's when he got nervous, he was so scared about what types of questions the Bishop would ask him. I told him he would ask questions about baptism and if he knew the church was true...Jared's expression changed and you could see the relief on his face, he said, "OH! Okay" (I guess those were the easy questions. haha)

Jared was baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost
on June 4, by his dad.

Jared's baptism was on the Stake level, I think there was 5 kids all together. Our family didn't prepare talks, musical numbers, or say any of the prayers. It didn't feel as personal but as Jared entered the waters of baptism and made those covenants with our Father in Heaven, I felt the spirit so strong. It's not about the production, it's about the ordinance. I am so grateful for the restoration of the gospel upon the earth, I am so grateful for a husband that is worthy to hold the priesthood and perform sacred ordinances, and I am grateful for a son who is so willing to follow the example of our Savior.

Jared's Auntie Mame & his Grandma Denos

Grandpa Mayfield, Kyle, Alysa, Jonny, Sonja, Colin, Grandma Mayfield, Daddy, Mommy, Ellie, Chelsea, Rachel, Gratton, & Jared!

My parents and all 4 of their grand kids.

Jared & his sisters.

Ballet Recital

Rachel had her summer ballet recital. She was so beautiful and I am so proud of her. She is a lot like me as a child. I was super shy and timid. So I give her so much credit to get out there and perform in front of family, friends, and LOTS of strangers. She had fund having her hair done up and LOVED the fact that she got to wear make up. She was one lucky girl to have her Grandma & Grandpa Mayfield there, her Uncle Colin, and Aunt Chelsea who all drove to be here for her recital. Bill picked up Grandma Denos and Aunt Amy from the airport and missed most of the recital but made it just in time for Rachel's performance. Uncle David & Kyle, Aunt Sonja & Alysa were all there also. I love having family my family around!

The end of her recital, her teachers gave her a pink carnation. Rachel is celebrating with Grandma & Grandpa Mayfield.

Should have gone with Take Out...

I made Jared some homemade Chinese food for his birthday. He wanted sweet and sour chicken, orange chicken, lo mein, egg rolls, and wontons. I should have just gone with take out because I could have avoided this....
Yep, that's my arm. I was frying the chicken and the tongs slipped out of my hands and splashed the hot oil up clear up by the crease of my elbow. It only hurt for the first 24 hours, it was fine after that. It was fun hearing people's comments like " I've never noticed your birthmark before" or "What the heck did you do?"

I love doing things for my kids, it is just a casualty of being a mom. It's not my first injury on the job and I'm sure it won't be my last. =)

Jared turns 8!

Jared has been looking forward to this birthday for a while. It's a big milestone. He gets to be baptized and he gets to start scouts. The actual day of his birthday Bill had to work at the fire station, he managed to talk the guys at the station into taking treats to Jared at school. Most of the guys got in their full turnouts. Jared was pretty excited to have his dad, the fire fighter, show up in his class.

I always let the kids choose their birthday dinner. Jared wanted Chinese food. I made it from scratch. It took almost 3 hours! Family came over, we had some cake and ice cream. Jared opened some presents. The following weekend he had his friend birthday party.

Jared was pretty excited for his cake.

Jared loves Pokemon right now. I don't understand it but I made him a Pokemon cake. My brother David helped me and made the Pikachu.

Jared in his new scout uniform. As you can see, I haven't sewn on any badges yet. haha
Jared has already earned his bobcat award. Go Jared!

One of the guys came through for us at the fire station. He owns the rock climbing wall at the local gymnastics center here in town. He gave us a great discount. (Although he completely forgot the date and had to scramble last minute to get someone.) Jared got to invite his friends for some rock climbing. Jared had a great time! I even learned how to belay.

A picture of Jared making it all the way to the top!

Having some cake and opening presents!

I made Pokemon cupcakes for his party. I have to say, they were MUCH easier and less time consuming than his cake.

I hope Jared had a happy 8th birthday!

Welcome to the Jungle

Jared's 2nd grade class put on a play a couple of weeks ago, Welcome to the Jungle. It was one of my favorites so far. The kids were adorable, they knew their lines, the songs were fun, and it was just entertaining.

Rockies in Rexburg

Jared started playing little league baseball a few weeks ago. He plays on the Colorado Rockies. It has been a really fun season. Baseball in Rexburg isn't quite what you would imagine. We have had wind, rain, and even a little snow. Jared is really getting the hang of the game. He is getting better at hitting and better at fielding. Jared told me he wants to be a professional baseball player. I think a lot of little boys have that dream.

Jared got to play 1st base. I took this picture with my phone.

Jared up to bat.

More pictures to come...

Hoodies are a health hazard.

Now that the weather is starting to warm up, I have to begrudgingly give up my hoodies and I am not liking what I am finding underneath. It's been a long Winter and I have found comfort in hiding behind my hoodies. Really, if you look at my pictures over the past few months, I am most likely wearing a hoody.
Over the past 8 months I have gained almost 15 pounds. That right...shocking! I am not going to lie, when I am stressed I turn to food, when I am sad I turn to food, when I am lonely I turn to food. It's that instant gratification. For those few short moments chocolate, cookies, ice cream made me feel better. The only problem, the consequences are worse than those few moments of indulgence. But it was easy to ignore...just throw on a hoody. It hides everything.
Well, I am tossing the hoodies to the side, no more hiding. I want to feel good about myself and the way I look. This week has been a good week. I am cutting out the treats and not eating after 7. I have been trying to squeeze in working out between school, moving, and babysitting. Hasn't been as successful as I wanted but it is a start.
This week I have already lost 3 pounds. I know it is going to be a long road. So, what are some of your secrets out there for weight loss or lifestyle change? What tricks have worked for you? What are some of your favorite way to workout?
Wish me luck!

New Dress

I can still see my baby girl in these pictures but I can also see the beautiful young lady she is becoming. Rachel didn't want to change out of her new Easter dress, she is my girly girl!

Easter 2011

What a busy and fun weekend...

We made some treats...

We dyed some eggs...
This is the first time we have tried this technique using some old silk ties. I was quite impressed with the results. I think we will have to start a new tradition.

We also dyed some eggs the old fashioned way...

Waiting for the excitement to begin...

Let the hunt begin...
(I have to laugh because Ellie chose her own pajamas the night before, a flannel top with a knit skirt. haha)
It was such a beautiful Easter Day, we ended up going to the park for another Easter egg hunt.

Happy Easter!

We had Stake Conference at 10:00 in the morning, I ran out of time before church to take pictures of all the kids in there Easter outfits and when we came home, I forgot our home teachers were coming over right after and the kids changed before I could stop them. Dang...they were pretty stinkin' cute. Oh well...

Rachel didn't want to change so I got some of her in her new Easter dress.

Don't text what you wouldn't let your mother read.

I will leave the people involved anonymous. Last night I was texting someone, a male a acquaintance. I gave him the info. he was needing...I get a text back...WHOA!!!!...I don't think that text was intended for me. I showed it to Bill and we both start dying of laughter because we both know it was meant for his wife. About 30 seconds later I get bombarded with texts. Saying. I am SO SORRY! or That was one of the top 10 most embarrassing things I've ever done! or Oh my GOSH! I am still dying of laughter because I can only imagine how mortified and embarrassed this person is.

Weekend Getaway!

Bill had a short break in between semesters. It was a much needed getaway for our family to spend some time together without distractions. The kids Spring break didn't line up with Bill's so it had to be short and inexpensive. So, we couldn't travel very far because gas prices are just ridiculous. Idaho right now isn't cold enough to do Winter activities, the snow is melting and slushy. But it isn't warm enough yet to do any real outdoors stuff. We finally decided on Yellowstone. The park was open for season on the 15th of April. But from the 16th to the 24th is National Park week and is free entrance into the park. We headed up Friday, got a hotel, just spent the day walking around to the different shops (half of them are still closed) We walked into one shop and was talking with the owner and discovered he was LDS, recently baptized 2 days prior. Crazy, huh? We spent the rest of the night swimming at the hotel. The next day we got up early and headed to the Grizzly Wolf Discovery Center. We cheated a little by paying to see some Grizzly bears and wolves, but it was pretty amazing to see them that close.
We headed into the park on Saturday, I really had low expectation because most of the roads were still closed. Many of the trails were still closed because of high bear activity or the fact that they were still covered in snow. But we packed in 2 full days of stuff. Many of the things I hadn't done before because it was a lot of the little stuff you skip when you only have a day to cover the entire park. We saw a lot of the geysers, hot springs, mud pots...We saw more buffalo than we could count, Elk, coyote, a bald eagle, fox and possibly a wolf. (That is still debatable. It was too far away. haha) We also saw a mini avalanche...we were walking around and thought we heard some loud thunder, when we looked up, it was snow breaking off one of the mountain peaks.
I thought that going to Yellowstone when the park was still covered in snow was going to be a bust but it was wonderful. We didn't have to compete for parking spots. Most of the time we were the only ones at the different places within the park. The best part was at the end of the trip we got to see the upper and lower falls in the park. They were so beautiful. We were the only ones there. Can you imagine being at Yellowstone and not having to share the magnificent views with anyone else? I love being in nature, it rejuvenates my soul, it is so peaceful to me. It builds my testimony of our Heavenly Father and His power and hand in all things.
Rachel wanted to share a funny moment we had at the lower falls, we were getting ready to head back to the car when Bill pulled out his cell phone. He said, "No signal"...I jokingly said, "Nope, the only signal you have is to God." I guess that hit a note with Rachel because she has mentioned it several times and insisted I shared it on my blog.
I didn't have very high expectations of our little family getaway but it ended up being one of the best mini vacations we've had in a long time.

How to turn a no good very bad day....better.

Yesterday was one of those days. The kind that you feel like a horrible mom and a horrible wife. Your patience is gone, your tired, little problems feel like big problems. I had a list of things that needed to get done but I felt nothing was getting accomplished. One of those days you look in the mirror and hate what you see. It was even humorous at times for those looking on. For instance, I was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of oatmeal, talking to my husband when it slipped out of my hands and dumped all over me and the couch. Yep, that's pretty much how my day was going.




Later that day....



I was able to go to the temple


"I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday.
To feel the Holy Spirit.
To listen and to pray.
For the temple is a House of God,
A place of love and beauty..."

Going to the temple changed my whole day. It changed my entire attitude. I love the peace I feel inside the temple. There is no where else I can feel so close to our Heavenly Father. I am so grateful to have the temple so close to us. What a blessing to be able to look out our window and see the Rexburg Temple sitting on the hill.

So, the day that started off not so great ended on a high note.

(Bill took this picture of the Rexburg Temple right after it rained)

Craters of the Moon

After being cooped up in the house for 2 days. (Mother Nature decided that Winter was not over yet.) We just had to get out and do something. I've been wanting to go to Craters of the Moon since we moved to Idaho. I checked the website and it said they had cleared the snow off the main loop. We drove a couple of hours, it was probably the ugliest part of Idaho I've seen, flat, brown, dry, and nothing but tumble weeds. There wasn't any sign of snow until we hit Craters of the Moon. It was a bad sign. The visitors center was open and we talked to the rangers. NOTHING was open. The loop you drive around was still closed, all the trails were closed, the caves were still blocked with snow drifts. I told the rangers I had read on the internet that it said the roads were being cleared. I was informed that they go through and break up the snow so it can melt...I was a very unhappy person. They said you could walk about 1 mile up the road (the road that you are supposed to be able to drive on) We decided to make the best of it and actually ended up having some fun.

hYou can see how high the snow still is in some parts.

Rachel off in the distance.

We're Moving...again.

We've been looking for a bigger place for almost 6 months. We've been living in our townhouse for almost 2 years. It's not that I mind the size of our place, that I can manage. It's the sharing of walls, having no yard, and no storage. Plus, most of the families have younger kids and Rachel has no friends in the neighborhood. Ellie's best friend just moved and misses her like crazy. My visiting teacher has been keeping her ears & eyes open for us. Yesterday, she called and said a rental had opened over by her. Long story short...in less than 24 hours we had the house. Crazy! I didn't think it would ever happen. It's a 5 bedroom house with a finished basement. We are going to live in the top and my brother and his wife are going to live in the bottom. By splitting the rent we are going to save ourselves lots of $$$ which is wonderful because trying to go to school with a family is VERY stressful financially. Plus, we get a yard, a garage, lots of storage! It will be especially nice when Bill goes out on his internship for almost 3 months in August. I will have help with the kids as I try to finish up my last (hopefully) semester of school in Fall. It's happening SO fast, I guess I better start packing as I start back to school on the 19th with 15 credits. Yikes! I need to take a deep breath...breath in...breath out...I wanted this, right?

Which one is it?

I drive by these signs everyday if not several times a day for the past 2 years and this is the first time I have noticed that Valinda Ln on the street sign has 2 L's. Everything else I have ever seen has only 1 L. Now I am questioning myself as to which one is correct. Have I been misspelling it this entire time or was there an error made on the sign????

First Visit of the Year

The snow has finally melted and we decided to visit Ryleigh's grave site for FHE. We haven't been able to go since October. I found some metal flowers at a thrift store that needed a little TLC, so we sanded them & painted them. I thought they would be perfect to put by her head stone and be able to withstand the weather. The kids had fun decorating.Visiting Ryleigh's grave site brings peace to my heart. I reflect on the atonement of our Savior, His life and Sacrifice, and the Resurrection. I especially feel the love he has for each of us. It reminds me to align my life and focus on the things that are important. It makes me grateful that we can be an eternal family.

Gotch'er back!

Madison School District is trying to implement this campaign to help kids and families with mental health issues and provide support and fight stigmas. On Friday, I got an email from the school saying they would be discussing each kids strengths and they would bring home a worksheet they had worked on in class. Usually, I really don't think anything of these activities. Jared came home and showed me his paper. I have to say this one made me smile. They were supposed to check the strengths that they bring to family, friends, and school. Let's just say, I don't think Jared has self esteem issues. haha I teased him about his clean and neat strengths and he told me, "But mom, I shower and brush my teeth." I really do think Jared is all of these things and more. I am glad he knows how special he is! I sure love that kid!